The present invention relates to a golf club stand which, in one mode of operation, hides within the grip handle of a golf club and, in another mode of operation, extends outward and swings such that the golf club handle rests the stand above the ground.
One prior art device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,334 and basically includes a clip-on clamp that attaches to an outer portion of the golf club shaft and includes a rotatable stand section that is mounted onto the clamp. In the collapsed mode, the longitudinal axis of the stand is generally parallel with the longitudinal axis of the golf club shaft; in the standing mode, the axis of the stand is normal to the axis of the golf club. Another prior art device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,579 to McCain. This prior art stand also includes a clamp that is mounted to the outside of the golf club shaft and a rotatable stand that is rotatably mounted to the clamp. The stand however is conically shaped hollow sleeve that partially wraps around the club shaft. Other patents have described items that can be placed in the handles of golf clubs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,771,794 to Crockett discloses a turf repair implement that is mounted in the handle of the club. U.S. Pat. No. 3,774,913 discloses a green fixing tool and ball marker that is mounted in the terminal end of the handle grip of a golf club.